Biochar particle size, shape, and porosity act together to influence soil water properties.

ABSTRACT: Many studies report that, under some circumstances, amending soil with biochar can improve field capacity and plant-available water. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control these improvements, making it challenging to predict when biochar will improve soil water properties. To develop a conceptual model explaining biochar's effects on soil hydrologic processes, we conducted a series of well constrained laboratory experiments using a sand matrix to test the effects of biochar particle size and porosity on soil water retention curves. We showed that biochar particle size affects soil water storage through changing pore space between particles (interpores) and by adding pores that are part of the biochar (intrapores). We used these experimental results to better understand

SUBMITTER: Liu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5466324 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature